The very first verse of the Book of Mormon points to its being a book of Hebrew origin. In keeping with traditional Hebrew custom, Lehi, as the family patriarch, was responsible for educating his sons. This education included lessons on the law, writings, prophets, and practices of Jewish religion and culture. Although some of this responsibility belonged to the mother, the head of the family was the one held accountable. Jacob, the brother of Nephi, carried on the same tradition in teaching his son, Enos (see Enos 1:1).
Approximately thirty years after his departure from Jerusalem (see 2 Nephi 5:28–31), Nephi began this record by giving honor and recognition to his parents. This fulfilled the ancient Hebrew commandment, “honour thy father and mother” (Deuteronomy 5:16).
Thirty years after leaving Jerusalem, Nephi simply notes that those years of travel were filled with afflictions. The experiences of journeying in the wilderness, making the ocean voyage, and colonizing the new world will be discussed later. Even though his life was filled with affliction, Nephi recognized God’s blessings. His life had been preserved, he had seen visions, and he had become a ruler over the righteous branch of his father’s family.
Before Nephi began to make a record upon these [small] gold plates, he was given a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God (v. 1). He was given visions about Jesus Christ, John the Baptist, John the Revelator, Jerusalem, the future of his own people, and of the nations and kingdoms of the Gentiles down to the end of the world (see 1 Nephi 11–14). He also witnessed the personal appearance of Jesus Christ. As he began to record some of the writings of the great prophet Isaiah, he testified that “I have seen him” (2 Nephi 11:3). Nephi also received revelations for the construction of a ship (see 1 Nephi 17:7–10; 18:1–3) and power to calm the seas (see 1 Nephi 18:21, 29).
The record he is making was done to fulfill a commandment of the Lord to “Make other plates; and thou shalt engraven many things upon them which are good in [the Lord’s] sight, for the profit of thy people” (2 Nephi 5:30). Nephi had previously been commanded to make another record (see 1 Nephi 19:1–2). The first record of Nephi is generally called the large plates of Nephi, and the record he is now writing is referred to as the small plates.
Nephi’s writing follows the thought pattern of the Hebrews but is written in reformed Egyptian (v. 2). Moroni, a later writer, tells us why they wrote in this manner: “if our plates had been sufficiently large we should have written in Hebrew” (Mormon 9:33). Moroni also writes, “we have written this record … in … the reformed Egyptian, being handed down and altered by us” (Mormon 9:32). Note that Moroni uses the plural “we” in his explanation, thus indicating that at least his father and he used reformed Egyptian and implying that such was the case from Nephi down. Moroni also indicates that further alterations have been made in this manner of writing even in his own day.
Nephi bears testimony to the truthfulness of his record according to the knowledge that he has received (v. 3). Joseph Smith confirms Nephi’s testimony as to the truth of the Book of Mormon by referring to it as “… the most correct of any book on earth” (HC 4:461; Book of Mormon Introduction), and the Lord himself bears testimony that it is a true record. In a revelation through Joseph Smith to Oliver Cowdery, the major scribe for Joseph as he translated the record, the Lord said “that the words or the work which thou hast been writing are true” (D&C 6:17). In a revelation to the three special witnesses of the Book of Mormon and other sacred Nephite items, the Lord said:
5 And ye shall testify that you have seen them, even as my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., has seen them; for it is by my power that he has seen them, and it is because he had faith.
6 And he has translated the book, even that part which I have commanded him, and as your Lord and your God liveth it is true. [D&C 17:5–6]